Vacation
by Keicee
Summary: A story of friendship between two mortal enemies. Sumire and Kanna friendship


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sakura Taisen or its characters.

**Vacation**

Taisho 15. New Year's day.

"...and I shall be going to my parents' home in Yokohama." Sumire said.

After the traditional holiday greetings and other pleasantries have been exchanged, the various members of the Hanagumi took leave of their commanders and dispersed, some to their rooms to pack, some to the cafeteria for a meal, and others elsewhere.

"...I'll bring you some souvenirs from Okinawa!" Kanna exuberantly waved goodbye to Iris and Sakura, and slung the duffle bag over her shoulder, whistling as she exited the Great Imperial Theater. A short distance away, near the main avenue sidewalk, she tripped over a pile of suitcases stacked beside the support pillar of the massive billboard that towered over the main street of Ginza.

"Oi, this is a public walkway, don't block the sidewalk--"

"Really, Kanna-san. My luggage was not disturbing anyone at all. It is **you** who should look where you're going." A mildly amused voice replied.

Kanna glanced up and was none too pleased to confirmed that the owner of the voice and the offending suitcases was indeed the person she thought it was. "Gah. I should have known. Even the snake-woman's luggage is out to get me."

Sumire's left eyebrow twitched slightly, but otherwise there was no other sign that she was annoyed by Kanna's impertinence so early in the morning. "Hmph. It would be most inappropriate to start the first day of the New Year with a fight, and therefore I am not even going to dignify that remark with an answer, Kanna-san."

The kimono-clad girl proceeded to retrieve and rearrange her scattered suitcases. Kanna, after a moment's hesitation, got up from her prone position and helped her with the heavier ones.

"You are going back to your hometown of Okinawa?" Sumire asked as the last of the luggage was stacked into place.

"Yup. You, you're waiting for your ride?"

Uncertainty flickered in Sumire's eyes, but it was so brief that Kanna wasn't quite sure if she had actually seen it or not.

"Y-yes. I was waiting for my...ride."

"Well, since I'm in no rush anyway, I'll stick around here until he arrives eh." Kanna let the duffle bag drop to the ground and looked around for a good spot to sit.

"That...that won't be necessary, Kanna-san." Sumire told her.

"As safe as we try to keep our city, waiting out here alone, ya might get mugged or something." Kanna reasoned. She had no intentions of leaving, no matter what the other said.

"I am THE Top Star. I won't get 'mugged'!" Sumire's voice rose in outrage.

Nevertheless, despite Sumire's protests (or perhaps because of them) Kanna stayed, hunkering down to a cross-legged sitting position under the capacious shade of the billboard.

They heard the opening and the closing of doors. It was Ogami and Sakura, leaving the Theater. They were walking arm in arm, and the Taicho was carrying both suitcases. Sakura smiled cheerfully up at Ogami, at the moment her gaze was only for him and nothing else. The loving couple were so engrossed with each other that they failed to spot Kanna and Sumire a scant few meters away.

Sumire could not help but feel a bit wistful and crestfallen as she watched them board the streetcar together. _'I see. Sakura-san had asked Shoui to go with her to her hometown as well -- and he accepted.'_

Yesterday evening, Sumire had asked him come with her to her home, because having him close by made her happy, and partially because she was nervous about riding the train alone, since this would be her first time to do so.

He had politely declined Sumire's invitation.

And accepted Sakura's.

"Does it still bother you?" Kanna's voice broke through her reverie.

"What do you mean?" Sumire raised an eyebrow.

"...Seeing the Taicho and Sakura together."

"O-ho-ho-ho...why should it bother _me_ whom the country girl dates?"

Kanna shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe 'cos its _him_. And a couple of years ago, you two were close."

_Damn Kanna's astute memory... _

Sumire had hoped that the others had forgotten about that. Her failure. A few weeks after Ogami first arrived at the Theater, he had gone for her, protecting her during battles and once even saving her from drowning in the pool. It was also New Year's day two years ago that they had gone on their first "date" to the temple to offer the customary thanks and prayers.

But a few months later, after the final battle, Ogami had realized which girl among the Hanagumi he truly loved...

And it wasn't Sumire.

The breakup was as civil as it could have possibly been. Despite Sumire's sharp-tongued image and haughty demeanor, she calmly accepted Ogami's decision and mourned her loss in the privacy of her room. Weeks of sleepless nights had passed before she had somewhat recovered, although she hid such feelings of despair and sadness from the other Hanagumi. Her stage performances were as perfect as always, but the self-assured visage of the Top Star masked a young girl's private pain.

_Enough of this pathetic wallowing._ Sumire inwardly urged herself to answer Kanna's question as calmly as possible. "That was before Shoui realized that it was Sakura he wanted." Despite her resolve, Sumire's voice had dropped down to a whisper.

"You still love him." Kanna commented.

"We all do." Sumire replied softly.

Kanna wasn't going to argue with _that_ statement. They all had feelings for the Taicho, some more than others. She instead concentrated on scanning the street, searching in vain for the familiar black vehicle that is Sumire's private car.

Frown. "How long are you going to sit there, Kanna-san?"

Shrug. "Until your driver arrives."

Exasperated gritting of teeth. "Why is that any of _your_ concern!"

Several minutes passed. _'He's really late.'_ Kanna thought. _'And...is it just my imagination, or is she starting to look a bit anxious?'_

Suddenly, the realization hit her.

"Uhm...I was just thinking, _saboten_..."

"'Thinking?' Is that your New Year's resolution, Kanna-san?" Worried or not, any opportunity to tease Kanna was irresistible to Sumire.

Kanna resolutely ignored the joke. "...If you are 'waiting for your driver', why wait out here along the main road? Wouldn't it be better to wait in the Theater lobby until he arrives and have Tsubaki page you? In fact, that's what you usually do--"

"It's not my driver...I was waiting for. I never actually said that." Sumire's voice was soft and a bit embarrassed.

"Huh?" Now Kanna was a bit confused.

Sumire bit her lip and steeled herself for the next words. "I'm...I'm trying to...hail a taxi."

"A taxi? What for!"

"To take me to the train station, you _idiot_." Sumire muttered under her breath, annoyed with herself at her show of weakness.

"_You're_ taking the _train_ home? The rich, sheltered _ojousama_ is actually taking public transportation? Gah, the world must be coming to an end!"

Preoccupied with her diatribe, Kanna failed to notice that Sumire had moved some distance away from her previous spot beside the support post. She now stood with her back to Kanna, and from this angle, the martial artist could not see her face.

"Because...my family...they do not know I'm coming home."

Then Kanna remembered. That 'incident' with Sumire's family six months ago in the Kanzaki mansion. Sumire's grandfather, head of the Kanzaki conglomerate, had threatened to cut off all funding for the Teikokukagekidan if Sumire did not marry the young man they had chosen for her. Without telling the rest of the Hanagumi, Sumire complied with their command, knowing that without the much-needed financial support for Koubu repairs and maintenance, it is a very real likelihood that some of her teammates would soon meet death or serious injury in the next battle.

Sumire had decided to make this sacrifice, and did not inform the others. Fortunately, due to the fabled "information gathering skills" of the three office ladies, the rest of the Hanagumi found out about Sumire's intentions before it was too late. They stormed the Kanzaki mansion and amid much property damage and physical injury to the guards who defended it, they rescued her.

Ogami Ichiro was given a choice by Sumire's grandfather. Leave Sumire here to her arranged marriage, and the Hanagumi will continue to receive funding. Take Sumire with them, and all financial support will be cut off completely. The Taicho never even blinked from Kanzaki Tadayoshi's steely gaze as he made the decision.

And now, six months after those turbulent events, Sumire was returning home.

"Oi, are you taking the 11:30 train to Yokohama?"

Sumire opened her purse and scanned her ticket. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Kanna re-checked her ticket. "Hmm, I thought so. That's the exact same one I'll be taking to the port of Yokohama."

Sumire hastily stifled the look of gratitude and replaced it instead with one of bored disinterest. "How...fortuituous."

Kanna grinned broadly. "Hehe, looks like you'll have the benefit of my company during the long train trip eh. Kohran gave me a pack of cards, we could play Hanafuda or something."

"I am _trembling_ with excitement." Sumire smiled wryly.

"Geez, I thought you weren't going to be sarcastic since it is the New Year, _saboten_. Anyhow, I'll go get the taxi." Kanna jumped to her feet and ran to the curb.

They parted ways at the Yokohama train station. Kanna had hailed another taxi and Sumire's luggage was in the process of being loaded into the trunk. "Well, good luck. Don't worry so much, it'll be alright."

Sumire frowned. "Who says I'm worried? In truth, I am more worried about that floating pile of junk you are taking to Okinawa."

"Oi, this is all I could afford!" Kanna retorted defensively.

"That boat isn't going to sink, is it?" Sumire asked suspiciously.

"That would just make your day, wouldn't it?" Kanna frowned.

"Of course not." Sumire frowned as well, insulted that Kanna would think such things.

A loud _bang_ startled them.

The suitcases were all loaded and the driver had shut the trunk.

"Um...good luck with your family meeting."

"You already said that, Kanna-san." Sumire smiled.

"Er...yeah...well, see ya!" Kanna slung the duffle bag on her shoulders and sprinted through the departing crowd, narrowly avoiding a pile of trunks scattered near the exit.

Sumire watched her go.

_Arigato. _

She got in the waiting taxi and gave the driver her instructions.

"Kanzaki residence in Kawasaki, please."

(the end)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

saboten - cactus

Taicho - squad leader. Ogami's position in the team.

Shoui - 2nd lieutenant? What Sumire calls Ogami.

Hanafuda - a card game.

Arigato - thank you


End file.
